Processed Foods May Cause Frequent Eating Cycles!

It has been stated that the signal for thirst is exactly the same as the signal for hunger. The feeling is the same and some people who are experiencing thirst are often mistaking it for hunger and seeking out food rather than a drink.

Over the course of many months, or even a few years this process could be a cause for unnecessary weight gains, especially for those with a diet high in salt. In fact, I believe a diet made up of mostly fast / processed foods, such as tinned products and convenient TV dinners, may be the worse affected, and here’s why…

The high salt levels present in many processed products and foods cause the sodium levels in the blood and extracellular fluids to rise within a few hours. This forces the body to hold more water, and in turn, creates a thirst for more fluid to settle the fluid balance. However, if one mistakes this thirst for hunger, then on most occasions, he may seek out another snack which adds to the calorie consumption levels.

Also, if the next meal or snack chosen is another product high in salt, then this whole hunger/thirst reaction cycle may start again causing a vicious cycle of frequent grazing during the whole day.

Breaking the Frequent Feeding cycle

To break this cycle, you need to recognise if your hunger pains are simply a drive for fluid. This can be achieved by drinking a large glass of water and wait for half hour, if hunger is still present then maybe try a reduced-salt snack or a meal made up of natural, fresh and wholesome foods.

It may also be a good idea to eat a diet made up of mainly low-salt foods for a week or two, obviously, providing you don’t have any medical conditions which doesn’t allow these types of foods. Plus, more water should be drank everyday in order to help flush out the high levels of sodium and restore water levels back to normal.

The most important point here is to make sure we don’t become too dehydrated. Dehydration not only causes hunger problems, but it also causes energy levels to drop dramatically, and this means you may not feel like exercising to burn off excess body fat.

*Always seek approval from a qualified dietician before introducing new foods or starting any new diet.Please read ourTerms of usefirst!